1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is relevant to the field of suppressing sensory afferent neuron mediated symptoms and the manufacture of agents and compositions which suppress the same.
2. Discussion of the Related Art.
Sensory afferent nerves mediate a number of symptoms that affect the quality of life. Specifically, itch, pain, nausea, cough, diarrhea, motion sickness, vomiting and retching, in addition to sensations of touch, heat and cold.
Often these troubling symptoms become severe enough to warrant therapeutic intervention. However, current therapeutic options to achieve a broad array of benefits are extremely limited. Only recently has our understanding advanced to the point that we now recognize that these symptoms are mediated by subsets of sensory afferent nerves, largely on the basis of pharmacological studies defining agonist response relationships and direct electrochemical measurement of nerve conduction.
What are also lacking are therapeutic options that suppress the heightened nerve activity in various pathological states. It is also now recognized that subset of nerves mediating certain responses can affect the detection of related symptoms also mediated by sensory afferent nerves. The classic example of this is the ability of opioid narcotics to block pain but yet stimulate the sensations of itch and nausea. Conversely, activation of pain fibers with capsaicin has been used as a treatment for refractory itch. From this it is clear that an agent that was a broad inhibitor of sensory afferent nerve activation would possess therapeutic advantages over current approaches by providing more generalized relief in response to a range of provocative events, as well as by not exchanging one symptom for another.
Sangre de grado, the viscous latex derived from various Croton species plants found primarily in the Amazon River basin, is an effective agent in managing a range of symptoms and complications mediated by activation of sensory afferent nerves. Sangre de grado or extracts derived thereof, can block the hyperalgesia, hyperemia, edema promoting, secretory actions associated with capsaicin stimulation. However, by blocking pain pathways Sangre de grado does not establish an itch response, but conversely it also blocks itch.
In response to insect bites, stings and plant reactions where a host of skin responses occur—itch, pain, edema, redness, discomfort, Sangre de grado extracts are effective in rapidly blocking the range of symptoms as opposed to a selective sensory response.